i86 A NATURALIST IN WESTERN CHINA 



to be as arid and barren as the one we had descended from 

 Reh-lung-kuan. Continuing our journey and on rounding a 

 bend in the river, we suddenly sighted, perched on a rocky 

 promontory, the town of Monkong Ting. After passing 

 through a gateway we noticed a separate township, rather 

 prosperous looking, situated in a lateral valley a little to the 

 left of the main road. This is the official town of Monkong 

 Ting, where reside the principal officials, civil and military. 

 Crossing a torrent by a wooden bridge we entered the place 

 first sighted from the bend in the river. This proved to be 

 an old military camp of poverty-stricken, dilapidated houses, 

 scattered alongside a street about lOO yards long. Two hun- 

 dred yards beyond this camp we reached the thriving business 

 town known as Hsin-kai-tsze. Monkong Ting, therefore, 

 consists of three distinct towns or villages : (i) the official 

 town, (2) an old military camp, (3) the business town. All 

 three are unwalled, though a gateway has to be passed on 

 entering each. The situation is most picturesque and strategi- 

 cally very strong. Monkong Ting is the political capital of 

 this region and a place of very considerable importance. The 

 two Chiarung states of Wokje and Mupin have their boundaries 

 at this point, and the rest of the valley to Romi Change is 

 divided into feudal states. 



The streets of Hsin-kai-tsze were thronged with people, 

 chiefly tribesfolk, selling medicines and buying various articles 

 for their own use. They made a very picturesque crowd, the 

 women being especially noticeable by reason of their display 

 of silver dress-ornaments, bangles, and ear-rings. The inns were 

 all crowded, but the head official obligingly secured a couple 

 of rooms for us and treated us with much courtesy and good- 

 will. The people were naturally curious and grouped them- 

 selves around us, but their manners were deferential. 



Hsin-kai-tsze, alt. 8200 feet, is a most important medicine 

 mart, being famous for its " Pei-mu " {Fritillana spp.), 

 " Rhubarb," " Ch'ung-tsao " (a caterpillar infested with the 

 fungus Cordyceps sinc7isis), and " Chung-hoa " (an Umbelliferous 

 plant, possibly Lignsticum Thomsonii). All of these are 

 collected and brought in for sale by the tribesfolk. Musk and 

 deer-horns also figure in the trade. 



